The present invention relates to a packaging system for electrical equipment and, more particularly, to a modular packaging system.
In designing electrical equipment packages, sufficient ventilation to prevent overheating of various heat-generating parts is a necessary consideration. Generally desirable features of such packages include ease of forming electrical connections between individual components inside of the package with other components, including components external to the package, and ease of access to the packaged electrical equipment. Such features facilitate maintenance tasks such as repair or replacement of individual components or groups of components. Further, it is desirable to provide the foregoing features in packages of minimal size.
With the advent of large electronic systems such as cellular telephone communication systems, it is necessary to package large amounts of equipment. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,484 to Atkinson et al., it is noted that components that make up cellular telephone communication systems include large amounts of common equipment, and that the use of such equipment has led to interconnections between various functional modules. To package large amounts of electrical equipment such as equipment typically belonging to radio base stations of cellular telephone communication systems, i.e., printed board assemblies, combiners, high power equipment, AC/DC equipment, antenna near parts, distribution blocks, power connection blocks, power splitters, etc., it is desirable to provide a modular packaging system that simplifies system design, customization, and expansion, as well as simplifying system construction and maintenance.
Existing packages for such equipment generally consist of conventional cabinets in which holes are drilled or punched. Cables are extended through the holes so that electrical connections between individual components in one cabinet can be formed with components in other cabinets and elsewhere. In view of the labor necessary in punching the holes and forming electrical connections between different cabinets, it is desirable to provide a modular packaging system in which interconnection of electrical components in different modules is simplified.
In existing packaging systems, each cabinet is typically provided with a fan for ventilating the equipment in the cabinet and blowing air to outside of the cabinet. The heated air blown outside of the cabinet by the fan may linger around the cabinet, and heat the area immediately around the cabinet. The heated air may create an uncomfortable or dangerous condition. In view of the potential of such conditions, it is therefore desirable to provide an improved system of ventilating air heated by electrical equipment.